Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

M1 MacBook screens mysteriously crack, some customers claim

Does the screen on Apple’s M1 laptops have a weakness that causes some to suddenly crack? A growing number of customer reports on several online forums suggest that some of the displays on the new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air machines, which launched in November 2020, are breaking for no clear reason.

The issue was highlighted this week by MacBook Pro owner Ian Probert, who told 9to5Mac that he recently opened his new laptop to find the display cracked, despite being certain he’d done nothing to cause it.

Recommended Videos

While some customers who’ve experienced the issue have been offered a free fix by Apple, others have been asked to pay. In Probert’s case, he was asked to hand over 570 British pounds (about $790) and was told that Apple technicians would examine the screen and decide later whether to refund the payment, depending on their assessment of how the damage had occurred. He’s still waiting to hear back.

In multiple posts across several pages on the Apple Support Community forum, customers claimed that a crack had suddenly appeared on their M1 MacBook without any obvious cause. “The laptop was sitting on my desk, and when I opened, it was broken and showing bars,” said one, while another wrote, “The laptop was in perfect condition when I last used it and had not been moved or touched until the next time the damage was noticed.”

Another owner wrote that after buying the M1 MacBook Air, “The screen cracked for no apparent reason. I left my computer on the top of my desk during the night, and the next day I opened it, the screen had two small cracks on the right, which damaged the functioning of the screen.”

Apple reportedly told the owner that the warranty didn’t cover the repair as it seemed likely that a small object between the screen and the keyboard had cracked the display when the laptop was closed. The customer, however, was adamant that the screen had been clear of any kind of obstruction.

Another message, this time on Reddit, said, “Opened new M1 13-inch MacBook, LCD is cracked … Haven’t dropped it or put any pressure on it, simply sitting on my desk and opened and the screen is black with lines on it, how could this have happened, I literally bought it a week ago?”

Some contributing to the discussion suggested a protector on the screen, keyboard, or camera may be causing the cracks, but those who replied said that this wasn’t the case.

Apple is yet to publicly acknowledge the complaints. Digital Trends has contacted the company for comment, and we will update this article if we hear back.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
iPad is the best secondary screen I’ve used with a MacBook
You can extend your MacBook's screen by using an iPad as a secondary monitor.

I spend an unhealthy amount of time lurking in communities where people share aesthetic desktop setups. One of my friends recently set the group chat on fire with a triple monitor setup that had two vertical screens and an ultrawide curved panel at the center. An impulse swipe later, I achieved a similar makeover for my desk at home.

Here’s the problem, though. My $600 workstation overhaul did bring me visual joy, but not much utility. For reporting assignments, I spend the majority of the year away from home, working from deserted cafes or unnaturally uncomfortable bunk beds. I do miss the convenience of large secondary screens. Interestingly, that yearning is addressed by a rather unconventional device —the humble iPad. 

Read more
The long overdue MacBook Pro design refresh might land in 2026
MacBook Pro

Apple likes to stick around with each product design refresh for at least a few generations. Take for example the M4 MacBook Pro, which is still carrying the same design language that was first introduced atop the M1 series models back in 2021.
Things could finally change next year. “In terms of major new Mac designs, I don’t expect the MacBook Pro to get an overhaul until around 2026 — when the M6 model is due to come out,” says a Bloomberg report.
Apple is currently working on refreshed MacBook Air and Pro models with M5-series processors. They might, however, stick with the same aesthetic formula as their respective M4-series counterparts. It’s not bad, but not without its flaws either.

“It’s no joke to lug around. Some will appreciate the extra screen real estate, no doubt, but there’s definitely a trade-off in mobility,” said Digital Trends’ review of the current-gen MacBook Pro.
“The one eyesore in the whole experience to me is still the notch in the display. I find it quite ugly and intrusive, and the way it cuts into the menu bar can be clumsy, especially on the 14-inch model,” the review adds.

Read more
Apple silicon has made the MacBook Pro a consumer favorite
Someone using a MacBook Pro at a desk.

Apple’s computer lineup has greatly benefitted from its update to the M4 chip in 2024. The brand introduced the M4 MacBook Pro and iMac lines in the last year– and research has further indicated that Apple’s decision to shift from Intel processors to proprietary silicon was a solid move. It has made consumers favor Apple laptops more. 

According to statistics from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), MacBook form factors, in either MacBook Pro or MacBook Air made up 86% of Apple’s PC market share in 2024. Consumers especially favored the M4 MacBook Pro at a rate of 53%, while 33% of MacBook Air models shipped during the year, and 14% of iMac models. These figures vary only slightly from the year prior; however, CIRP noted that Apple appears to have weathered any fluctuations that may have occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Read more